Dr. Wallis is recognized for putting safety first in his leadership of the Precision Imaging Facility (PIF), a unique resource with custom tools and a diverse user base from multiple divisions and operating units at NIST. Upon assuming leadership of this complex, shared-use facility, he identified significant opportunities for improving safety, and took the bold and unusual step of stopping work until they could be implemented. His enhanced hazard-review process and procedures proved instrumental in the safe and efficient handling of a liquid-nitrogen spill during a new service start-up. As a result of his work, both the users and $9 million of instrumentation were unharmed and the facility experienced a minimum of interruption.